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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24434725">Cave of Six Friends, Four Lovers, and a Lemur</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopeofnyan/pseuds/hopeofnyan'>hopeofnyan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Zutara Month 2 of 2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Almost Kiss, Cave of Two Lovers, Day Five: Cave of Two Lovers, F/M, Friendship, Gaang (Avatar), Gaang (Avatar) as Family, Gen, Holding Hands, Katara expands her waterbending abilities, Mischief, Oma and Shu, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Secret tunnel, Suki is quite perceptive, Their friends actually appreciate her, This was way longer than I meant for it to be, Toph enjoys causing mischief, Zuko tries to help, Zutara, Zutara Month, Zutara Month 2, Zutara Month 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:28:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,401</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24434725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopeofnyan/pseuds/hopeofnyan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The GAang is back together months after the war has ended. They are taking a vacation to visit the (not so) Secret Tunnel and properly enjoy the crystals and hopefully encounter some badgermoles. There's no way they can get lost with two earthbenders - right? Chaos and shenanigans disrupt what was supposed to be a relaxing trip - and Katara discovers that she can be just as awkward as Zuko.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katara &amp; Sokka (Avatar), Katara &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Oma/Shu (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Zutara Month 2 of 2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726894</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>126</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cave of Six Friends, Four Lovers, and a Lemur</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Day Five: Cave of Two Lovers</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="MyStyle">“Sokka, if you complain <em>one</em> more time, I am going to dump the entire river on you!” Katara exclaimed at her brother. “You didn’t even have to come with us.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Of course I had to go – otherwise I’d be surrounded by politicians without backup,” Sokka retorted.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Cheer up, Sokka. We’re going to have lunch before we head into the cave,” Aang chirped as he gamboled ahead of them on his glider, Momo coasting behind him.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Isn’t this supposed to be a romantic spot, Sokka?” Suki asked. “It’s called the “Cave of Two Lovers”, after all.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“If you call being chased by wolfbats and singing to badgermoles to avoid being crushed ‘romantic’, then yes,” he stated.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Once we figured out how to navigate the passageways, it wasn’t so bad,” Katara chimed in.</p><p class="MyStyle">“You weren’t stuck with a bunch of crazy hobos,” her brother pointed out.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I wish I had been there – it’s been a while since I spent time with badgermoles,” Toph said. “And it would have been funny to hear Snoozles singing with crazy hobos.”</p><p class="MyStyle">She and Katara snickered as Sokka uttered sounds of indignation, clenching his fists and stomping to unintentionally complete the comical effect. Suki rolled her eyes and slipped one of her hands in his placatingly. Their companion who had been silent most of the journey chuckled quietly from the back of the party.</p><p class="MyStyle">“How dare you laugh with them, Zuko?” Sokka yawped.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Sorry Sokka,” Zuko told him.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Don’t apologize – Sokka is just sad that he’s the only one who’s scared of caves,” Toph laughed.</p><p class="MyStyle">“She’s got a point,” Katara interjected. “Back in Ba Sing Se, when we were going after the Fire Nation drill, Sokka was scared of the dark when Toph made a tunnel underground.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“I was surprised, not scared,” he snapped. “Toph was earthbending very quickly and without much warning.”</p><p class="MyStyle">Suddenly the ground beneath the group dropped several feet into the ground, though the sky was mercifully still overhead.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I know, right?” Toph cackled, raising her arms in the air with a sly grin.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Wha – Toph!” Katara cried.</p><p class="MyStyle">“A little warning next time?” Sokka shot at her.</p><p class="MyStyle">The earthbender smirked triumphantly at her friends’ dismay. In Katara’s opinion, Toph was enjoying herself far too much. The waterbender had ended up being thrown onto floor during the abrupt elevation shift and skin had been scraped off her hands; now the heels and palms of them consisted of raw flesh mixed with blood and dirt. She offered a grateful smile of thanks to Zuko as he helped her up.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Are you okay?” he inquired with a glance to her bloodied hands.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Yeah, I’ll just heal them in the river,” she replied. “Toph, would you please bend the ground back up? You made your point.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“<em>Fine</em>, Madam Fussybritches,” Toph responded snidely.</p><p class="MyStyle">If not for the girl’s blindness, Katara would have stuck her tongue out at Toph. She settled for being glad that her friend complied and restored the earth back to the path’s level – just as Aang and Momo reappeared overhead.</p><p class="MyStyle">“What happened? Were you attacked?” the boy yelled fretfully.</p><p class="MyStyle">“No, I was just giving them a demonstration how <em>quickly</em> I can earthbend!” Toph yelled back.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Toph was being a brat,” Sokka corrected.</p><p class="MyStyle">Aang gracefully descended and joined in his friends’ walking before saying, “Maybe we should have a battle to see who can surprise each other the most with our bending!”</p><p class="MyStyle">“NO!” all four of his and Tophs’ companions shouted in unison.</p><p class="MyStyle">Momo chittered and swooped down on Sokka’s head, earning a frown from his perch.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Unless you’re here to support us in uniting against Aang and Toph, you can fly back to where you came from,” Sokka informed the lemur.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Maybe Momo just wants some love,” Suki cooed as she began petting the winged lemur.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Maybe Momo is saying that Aang has the right idea!” Toph proclaimed.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Maybe Momo is saying that you and Aang should take your bending battle a safe distance from the group so you don’t hurt anyone,” Katara loudly interrupted.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Great idea, Katara! Come on Toph,” Aang said, lightly tugging at his friend’s arm.</p><p class="MyStyle">“You’re on, Twinkle Toes!”</p><p class="MyStyle">The pair darted further down the river to the side of the creek up ahead where they had planned to stop for lunch. Katara hoped they wouldn’t stray too far so she would not have to go looking for them later but was not terribly worried considering that their sparring match would likely get the rest of their group splattered with dirt and possibly injured.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey Katara, maybe you should heal your hands here instead of waiting until we get all the way to the creek,” Zuko suggested.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Katara got hurt?” Suki asked, concern etched on her face.</p><p class="MyStyle">The waterbender nodded and held out her hands to display what had happened. She winced when Sokka’s expression morphed into one he usually wore right before storming to whoever he was angry at and verbally exploding. Her hands were not <em>that</em> hurt; even if they were, Katara could still heal them just the same. Toph had not intentionally harmed her.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Sokka, relax. It was an accident,” Katara admonished before he said a word.</p><p class="MyStyle">“She should’ve been more careful,” her brother muttered. “Zuko is right. Let’s stop here and wait so you can take care of your hands.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Is there anything I can do to help?” Suki inquired as she approached her friend’s side.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Keep Sokka from losing his temper,” Katara replied, only half-jokingly.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Will do,” she assured her.</p><p class="MyStyle">It took a considerable amount of scrubbing to clean the dirt out of her wounds before Katara was able to soothe away the burning sensation on her hands. Suddenly she felt reproachful at herself – she had not checked if anyone else had been scraped up from the earthbending scuffle.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Did anyone else get hurt?” Katara questioned frenziedly.</p><p class="MyStyle">She released a small breath of relief when they all confirmed that none of them had been harmed. It was strange that this bothered her so much – the war had ended, and no one was in danger. Why did Katara feel so frantic over someone possibly having a minor scrape?</p><p class="MyStyle">“Are you okay?” Sokka queried. “You have a weird look on your face.”</p><p class="MyStyle">His sister nodded a bit too enthusiastically to be normal. “I’m fine. Let’s just get going. You’re hungry, right?”</p><p class="MyStyle">Mentioning anything to do with Sokka’s appetite successfully snatched his attention and Katara resisted a smirk when he perked up.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Good idea, little sister!”</p><p class="MyStyle">Sokka plucked Suki’s hand from her side and began striding forward with great purpose, the girl laughing as she followed him at a rapid pace. Katara grinned at Zuko and stood very still for a moment before sprinting forward.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey, cheater!” he called.</p><p class="MyStyle">Katara did not mind taking a head start – her legs were not as long as his and she needed every advantage to stay ahead. Sokka and Suki broke into running as she and Zuko raced past them. Despite the head start, Katara fell behind Zuko as he outpaced all of them. She leapt into the river and bent a wave beneath her and swiftly overtook him, whooping as her brother and friends protested behind her.</p><p class="MyStyle">The creek soon came into view. It took a bit more effort than usual to reach one of the ledges bordering it, but Katara managed and held her breath as she jumped to the water below. The coldness of the deeper water was shocking compared to the shallow river. As she swam to the surface, the air only added to the chill and Katara shivered. The crisp temperature was pushed to the side as Sokka, Suki, and Zuko reached the edge of the creek with sour expressions. Katara felt a mischievous smile creep on her face and bent a wave that soaked Sokka and left his two companions entirely dry.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Katara, you are the worst sister <em>ever</em>!” he yelped.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Serves you right for complaining!” she countered.</p><p class="MyStyle">Zuko watched the exchange in amusement as Katara flopped on her back and floated in the pond, ignoring her brother’s demand to be dried with her bending. Suki started to peel off her shoes to join Katara. Zuko glanced at the water longingly. The summer sun had warmed him the entire trip and the water looked tantalizingly cool – and perhaps it would assuage the light sunburn he had developed.</p><p class="MyStyle">After dumping the bag of supplies he had been carrying, Zuko tugged his boots off in sync with Sokka. They briefly spent time pulling off their shirts before both jumping into the creek at the same time; Zuko broke the surface first and faced Katara and Suki.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Whose splash was the biggest?” he asked as Sokka swam up for air.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hmm, they looked about the same to me,” Katara remarked. “What do you think Suki?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“I’d say the same,” she agreed. “If you want a bigger splash you should try jumping off of a higher surface.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“What are you guys talking about?” Sokka inquired, shaking excess water from his face.</p><p class="MyStyle">“They were saying our splashes were the same,” Zuko expounded.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I think mine was definitely the biggest,” Katara quipped.</p><p class="MyStyle">“You cheated – yours doesn’t count,” her brother pointed out.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Fine! Let’s all jump from the same ledge and see whose splash turns out to be the highest and widest,” his sister suggested. “No waterbending this time!”</p><p class="MyStyle">“You’re on!” Suki declared with an eager smile.</p><p class="MyStyle"> </p><p class="MyStyle">An hour later, all four of the older teenagers were sprawled out on blankets to let the sun dry them naturally. Zuko was certain he would regret it later – Katara had informed him that water intensified the sun’s effect on one’s skin instead of shielding it. Embarrassed, he stated that he would be fine. She had imparted him a look that said, <em>You and I both know you’ll regret this</em>, but did not contradict him. Besides, after soaking in the pond, the warm sunshine felt amazing. Suki had a similar complexion as him and was not concerned about getting sunburned, so why should Zuko?</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey guys, what’s up?” an extremely bubbly voice asked.</p><p class="MyStyle">“We’re napping, Aang, so shh,” Sokka informed him.</p><p class="MyStyle">“We’re just taking a short break before we eat and explore the caves,” Katara paraphrased. “If you’re hungry for snacks, Zuko can tell you where to get some. He was in charge of the supplies this time.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Sparky, where’s the grub?” Toph asked as she boisterously walked into view.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Over there,” Zuko replied, pointing vaguely in the direction he had placed the bags. A moment passed before he realized his error. “I mean, follow me.” He rose to his feet and led the blind girl to the supplies to find it soaked. “Uh, oh. Katara, could you come over here for a moment?”</p><p class="MyStyle">Katara huffed but got up and ambled to where the two of them stood. “What?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“The supplies are drenched,” he mumbled. “Could you waterbend them dry?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Yeah, but some of the food might be too late to save if it’s been wet for too long,” she answered as she drew the liquid out into a globule overhead. Katara contemplated depositing it on her brother but figured that she had bothered him enough for one day and instead directed it into the pond. “Let’s see what’s salvageable.” She undid the buttons of the smaller of the sacks that had been laden with snacks and cringed. Most of the snacks had been fruits and Katara had unthinkingly dehydrated them. At least the nuts were good to eat.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Can I have some of the lychee nuts? I got Aang to pack some in there for me,” Toph requested.</p><p class="MyStyle">…Except for the lychee nuts.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Um, they’re…I sort of dehydrated them,” Katara told her sheepishly. “I guess I can try to rehydrate them though.” She placed a handful of the fruity nuts on a piece of cloth.</p><p class="MyStyle">Inhaling deeply, Katara closed her eyes and summoned water from the creek. She had never attempted to infuse food with water before and needed to focus as much as possible to do it even slightly successfully. After opening her eyes, she directed the water above the lychee nuts and slowly seeped out tiny streams of the liquid towards them. It resisted entering the physical substance – she had to be more insistent. As the water coated the lychee nuts, Katara tried to find some kind of openings in them. After a full minute of concentrating, she sensed infinitesimal pores and permeated them with water. Finally, Katara deemed them fit to be consumed and let the excess water splash back into its origin.</p><p class="MyStyle">She reached for Toph and gently held her hand palm-up and placed a few of the lychee nuts into it.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Okay, try them now,” she suggested.</p><p class="MyStyle">Anticipation welled in the waterbender as Toph chewed thoughtfully. She suspected the earthbender was purposely eating slowly and enjoying Katara’s fidgeting.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Well?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“<em>Well</em>,” Toph said, “they’re not bad. A little watery, but not bad.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hmm.” Katara bent some of the moisture out of the remaining nuts and shoved one at Toph. “What about this one?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Cool it, Sweetness,” she snapped but accepted the lychee nut, chewing even slower than earlier. “That one was too dry. But hey, at least you didn’t completely desiccate it this time!”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Argh!” Katara growled, digging her fingers into her hair frustratedly. “Well, I tried, okay?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Didn’t ask you to,” Toph shot back.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Toph, I am –”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey, would you two argue more quietly? I’m trying to nap,” Sokka called from his spot on the shore.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Stay out of it, Sokka!” Katara barked.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey, there’s no need to fight! Katara made a mistake and did her best to fix it. And there’s plenty to eat, so let’s just calm down,” Aang interrupted.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Let’s see what’s here,” Zuko added quickly and crouched between Katara and Toph to reach the snack bag, effectively cutting them off from each other. “Hmm, there’s plenty of nuts left. Let’s just eat those for now.” He passed the bag to Aang, who eagerly dug through it and pulled out a small bunch of peanuts wrapped in cloth.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Here, Toph! Have some peanuts,” he offered enthusiastically.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Thanks, Aang,” she muttered.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Would you like some –”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Aang, give me the bag. I want to try to rehydrate the rest of the fruit,” Katara ordered with a determined expression.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Okay…good luck,” her friend responded, handing it to her apprehensively.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Is there anything I can do to help?” Zuko asked.</p><p class="MyStyle">“No, thanks,” she answered briefly, already engrossed in her task.</p><p class="MyStyle">Watching Katara bend water into food was surprisingly fascinating. Zuko could tell it was not easy despite her being an accomplished waterbending master. The liquid would not be absorbed immediately by the food, and Katara’s brows would often scrunch together in concentration as she would work on figuring out ways to work the water in. Zuko felt for her; it difficult to use bending on food. He had to use immense precision to not burn or undercook food with his firebending. He wondered if there were any tutors that offered lessons on how to use one’s bending to alter food – it was an interesting concept. His attention turned back to the waterbender when she let out a breath that seemed to vent her aggravation. Perfectionism was a trait she exhibited and Toph’s ribbing likely offended her more than amused her.</p><p class="MyStyle">Perhaps Zuko could do something to distract her – this was meant to be a fun vacation, not a stressful event. But would that irk Katara or help her relax? Was he a bad friend for not doing something to help? She had refused his offer for it earlier, but according to Uncle, girls would say “no” and sometimes expect people to do something anyway. For the life of him, Zuko could not think of anything he could do to help her though. Perhaps it would be better for him to just wait in silence.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey Zuko, could you check the bag with the food we packed for lunch? I’m not sure if anything inside it needs to be rehydrated,” Katara said.</p><p class="MyStyle">The firebender exhaled a breath of relief at being given an assignment. “Sure, no problem.”</p><p class="MyStyle">The larger sack of food had much more packed in it than the one with the snacks did. Zuko shuddered at picking through all of it but had no intention of leaving Katara to do all of the work by herself. He remembered that during the war she was often the one to do most of the chores and the rest of the gang would only do their share after being reminded multiple times. Zuko also remembered that after Katara forgave and accepted him, she thanked him multiple times for helping without being told and not complaining about chores. He would not begin whining now.</p><p class="MyStyle">It took thirty minutes to sort through the food and for Katara to rehydrate that which required it. Aside from Suki and Zuko, each member had pestered Katara about when lunch would be ready. That included Momo; the lemur had attempted to purloin from the cuisine three times before Aang efficaciously distracted him. Zuko had assumed that Suki might help, but she ended up sneaking away with Sokka somewhere private.</p><p class="MyStyle"> </p><p class="MyStyle">“Lunch is ready!” Katara announced.</p><p class="MyStyle">Everyone materialized within a minute to her vexation – when she and Zuko had been working on their sustenance, they had <em>mysteriously</em> been out of hearing range when she requested more help. She supposed they had not changed very much since the war ended. At least none of them were complaining – if they had, she likely would have lost her temper and ruined the mood for the rest of the trip. But she did not since these people were her family, however much they irritated her at times.</p><p class="MyStyle">Her brother surprised her after he had finished eating. “Thank you for preparing this for us, Katara. I’ll clean up.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Yeah, thanks Katara,” Aang repeated.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Thanks,” Toph added.</p><p class="MyStyle">A small smile graced her lips. “You’re welcome.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“I’m sorry I didn’t help you earlier,” Suki apologized.</p><p class="MyStyle">“You’re forgiven. And Zuko, thank you for helping me.” Katara gently laid a hand on his shoulder with a small smile.</p><p class="MyStyle">“You’re welcome,” he murmured, offering a smile back as he lightly placed his own hand on top of hers.</p><p class="MyStyle">Unbeknownst to them and unnoticed by Aang and Toph, Suki narrowed her eyes at the gesture. It had not fled her attention that since the time proceeding their adventure to chase down the murderer of Katara and Sokkas’ mother, she and Zuko had been spending a great deal of time together. Sokka had informed her that even though both he and his sister regularly wrote to all of their friends, Katara received and sent letters more frequently than him while they were in the South Pole. And on the occasions in which the group reunited, Katara and Zuko always shared each other’s company more than the rest of them. Not for the first time, Suki wondered if they were secretly in a relationship together or if they were mutually pining or if they even recognized their own feelings. She had not shared her thoughts with Sokka yet; he was friends with Zuko, but he also happened to be a very protective person and Katara was his sister. And Suki did not want to ruin anyone’s friendship. But she also really wanted to talk about it to <em>someone</em> – constantly wondering about Katara and Zuko was maddening.</p><p class="MyStyle">Sokka nudged her shoulder. “What’s up?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Just thinking,” Suki replied vaguely.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Is something wrong?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“No, no.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Are you planning something?”</p><p class="MyStyle">Suki’s brows raised. She had not considered taking action in regard to her two friends, but now that Sokka mentioned the idea, perhaps she ought to do something. “I am now,” Suki informed him.</p><p class="MyStyle">“You’ll let me in on it, right?” Sokka asked. “I <em>am</em> considered a talented strategist.”</p><p class="MyStyle">The Kyoshi Warrior’s lips rose into a grin. “Alright, let’s talk after we clean up. We should get started if we want to make it to the cave in good time.”</p><p class="MyStyle">The warrior of the Southern Water Tribe rolled his eyes but acquiesced.</p><p class="MyStyle"> </p><p class="MyStyle">By the time the group of friends headed to the Cave of Two Lovers, it was a couple hours past midday and Katara felt impatient. She really wanted to do something fun that had nothing to do with chores and work; swimming counted, but it had not lasted very long. Hiking through a cave with a crystalline ceiling would likely last at least a couple hours and she immensely desired to enjoy it as much as possible.</p><p class="MyStyle">
  <em>I really hope we don’t get separated again. Or, if we do, that I don’t get stuck with Aang…he does not need anything to revive his crush on me. I think he got over it but if we end up alone in there…ugh. Maybe nothing will happen. It’ll be fine.</em>
</p><p class="MyStyle">Katara did her best to shove her thoughts away and focus on the present. Beside her, Zuko was sandwiched between Katara and Toph, who was cracking jokes. Aang was laughing at them as Momo rested on his shoulder. Sokka and Suki were behind the lot of them holding hands. The entrance to the cave loomed around them and she felt a jolt of excitement inside her. It would be wonderful to finally see the crystals without any apprehension of the Fire Nation military chasing them or getting lost since there were two reliable earthbenders amongst them. She wondered if they would encounter any badgermoles this time – Sokka had, but she never got to see them. It <em>would</em> be funny to hear him sing for them.</p><p class="MyStyle">She waited till the end of Toph’s latest joke before addressing her. “Hey Toph, do you think you could lead us to some of the badgermoles?</p><p class="MyStyle">“I’d love to!” the earthbender replied eagerly. “Do you have any idea of how many are in here?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“I’m not sure. The last time we were here though, Sokka and the nomads came out riding two of them.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hmm, I bet there are more than that.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Well, I’m sure you can find them! You did it before, remember?” Aang encouraged her.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Actually, they found me,” Toph corrected him. “Maybe they’ll find me again!”</p><p class="MyStyle">“If all else fails, Sokka can sing something,” Katara added with a smirk thrown over her shoulder at her brother.</p><p class="MyStyle">“What?” he asked confusedly.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Katara says you’ll sing a song so the badgermoles will find us!” Aang informed him cheerfully.</p><p class="MyStyle">“No,” Sokka deadpanned as Suki giggled beside him.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Come on, Sokka. They’ll find us just to make you stop singing,” his sister teased.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I resent that!”</p><p class="MyStyle">“I’m sure Sokka isn’t <em>that</em> bad,” Suki said defensively.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I’m good enough for the badgermoles,” he assured her. “We never would have gotten out of the tunnels if not for my singing and beautiful playing on one of the nomad’s lutes.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Well, you can sing, and Aang and Zuko can do their special dragon dance to go with it,” Katara stated.</p><p class="MyStyle">“It’s an ancient bending form. It just <em>happens</em> to be called the “Dancing Dragon”. That doesn’t make it a dance!” Zuko protested.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I’m pretty sure the Sun Warriors called it a dance,” Aang said. “Besides, why can’t it be a dance and a sacred bending form?”</p><p class="MyStyle">Zuko huffed in annoyance but offered no rebuttal.</p><p class="MyStyle">“If it wasn’t a dance before, it definitely is now. Twinkle Toes made sure of that,” Toph insisted.</p><p class="MyStyle">“What is <em>that</em> supposed to mean?” Aang said warily.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey look, we’re at the cave entrance!” Katara quickly pointed out before Toph could speak.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Wow, it’s huge!” Suki exclaimed.</p><p class="MyStyle">Toph paced in front of the group and stomped her foot and thrust one hand into the ground and the other into one of the right wall.</p><p class="MyStyle">“It <em>is</em> huge! Wow!”</p><p class="MyStyle">Katara pointedly ignored Sokka’s groan of annoyance and jogged to catch up her earthbending friend. Momo chittered before leaping into the air and alighting on the waterbender’s shoulders, burying his face into the side of her neck. He must have remembered their last experience in the cave. She ran a comforting hand down his back.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Don’t worry, Momo. This time will be different.”</p><p class="MyStyle">The winged lemur warbled skeptically and tightened his grip on her. Katara sighed and kept petting him as she headed deeper into the rocky corridor with Toph, checking to see if the ceiling yielded any glowing stones. It was barren and dark so far. A flickering light appeared beside her as Zuko caught up, levitating a flame above his hand as they proceeded forward.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Oh, you don’t need the flame. Further into the tunnels are glowing crystals on the ceiling,” she explained.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Shouldn’t I keep it up until we get to them?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“I guess so.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey guys, wait up!” Aang called as he sprinted to reach them.</p><p class="MyStyle">He panted a bit as they waited for Sokka and Suki to also catch up. Katara hoped they weren’t lagging behind because they were caught up in kissing or being handsy. As much as she respected Suki, she had noticed that with Sokka her friend could get rather distracted when they were not in imminent danger. A sigh of alleviation escaped her as the couple emerged into the light of Zuko’s flame.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Alright, come on guys. I want to find some badgermoles!” Toph pronounced.</p><p class="MyStyle">As the girl began walking deeper into the tunnel, the rest followed with anticipation.</p><p class="MyStyle">It was not until after twenty minutes of frequent checking that the six friends found a section of the tunnels with gleaming crystals embedded in the ceiling. Zuko was grateful not have to be a human lantern again; his arm was weary after holding it up and maintaining a tempered flame for so long. He had switched with Aang for a while, but it had still spent most of the twenty minutes doing it after Momo had vacated Katara’s shoulders in favor of using Aang as a perch.</p><p class="MyStyle">Despite the comfort that was present while being with his friends, Zuko had not enjoyed the trip as much as he had hoped he would. Tearing his mind from the stress of being Fire Lord was difficult. He had not partaken in conversation much and longed to be able to slip back into the easy camaraderie that was present during their time together before Sozin’s Comet arrived. Uncle would likely chastise him for not taking advantage of the time away from politics and the responsibility accompanying his position in the Fire Nation.</p><p class="MyStyle">What Zuko longed for at the moment was to release the turmoil in his mind and he did not know how. Writing letters to Katara while they were at their respective homes had helped, but now he felt unable to <em>really</em> talk about anything significant even though she was physically right next to him. They had only made small talk so far and he yearned to initiate a deeper conversation with her but had not the slightest idea how to do that either.</p><p class="MyStyle">Perhaps he could at least enjoy seeing the crystals to some degree. He clearly was unable to find much pleasure in being around the people closest to his heart – Zuko <em>would</em> be too weak to appreciate the blessings on the present. Of course he would – he was Zuko. It took suffering through an intense fever that made him feel like death itself to appreciate when he and his uncle moved from utter poverty into a luxurious apartment in the wealthiest part of Ba Sing Se without spending a single coin.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey, are you okay?” a gentle voice asked. Zuko jumped a bit at being startled from his thoughts and peered to his right side to see Katara standing right beside him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. You just have been really quiet this whole trip and you looked upset about something.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“I’ve been having trouble clearing my mind from my responsibilities as Fire Lord. I have so much to do in order to make up for all the pain the Fire Nation caused the world and also keep my country afloat and deal with politicians and corrupt nobility and live with the knowledge that…never mind.” Zuko’s shoulder slumped at the metaphorical weight of his concerns.</p><p class="MyStyle">“What is it? You can tell me. If you want to keep it between us, I don’t mind keeping a secret,” Katara assured him.</p><p class="MyStyle">“It’s nothing.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Zuko, it’s bothering you and causing you pain. It’s not nothing.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“I…I’ll tell you, just not now. Not while the others are here,” he told her.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Okay,” she said simply.</p><p class="MyStyle">In the moments after speaking with Katara, Zuko discovered that he was able to focus on his current surroundings much more than before. It was not unexpected – she was so easy to talk to and cared about people so much. Perhaps Zuko should have approached her earlier; she would have been able to sense he needed to say something through whatever awkward words he expelled in his clumsiness to communicate. The ends of his lips turned up. Katara always seemed to know how to get through to him.</p><p class="MyStyle">As they stood still and gazed at the ceiling, save for Toph, Zuko became acutely aware that Katara had not moved from right beside him. She seemed content to stand next to him in this moment. The fact that she could have been standing by herself or in the midst of their friends or her brother as they gazed at the remarkable, shimmering green crystals yet chose to be with Zuko warmed him more than his inner fire ever could.</p><p class="MyStyle">
  <em>I’m probably reading way too much into this. Katara just knows I’m feeling down and wants to be nice – that’s all it is.</em>
</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey guys, let’s get going. You can look at the pretty lights while we walk. I want to find the badgermoles,” Toph announced.</p><p class="MyStyle">A series of groans and grumpy mutterings were uttered, but when Toph began walking into a tunnel that branched from the left, everyone followed her. Zuko tried to not feel so excited by the simple fact that Katara stayed close to him as they trekked through the tunnel. She glanced at him with a smile on her face as they continued.</p><p class="MyStyle">“They’re almost the same color as the ones in the cave under Ba Sing Se,” she remarked.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Yeah, they are,” he said, unsure how to respond.</p><p class="MyStyle">
  <em>Is she mad at me now?</em>
</p><p class="MyStyle">“I’m glad we can make new memories with the crystals,” Katara continued. “Though, the first part of the old one wasn’t so bad.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“It was the first time I ever realized we had something in common,” Zuko said before he could think through his words. Now that he had spoken, he recalled that what they had in “common” were their absent mothers – something he doubted Katara appreciated being reminded. <em>He</em> did not want to spend the rest of the trip ruminating about his missing mother.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Yeah.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“No, don’t apologize. It’s okay,” she replied. “It’s not good to pretend bad things haven’t happened. We need find a way to be able to live with them.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“You sound like my uncle,” he commented.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I’ll take that as a compliment.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“You should.”</p><p class="MyStyle">Suddenly, a lone creature bolted through the air overhead and the group stopped walking.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey, what was that?” Suki wondered.</p><p class="MyStyle">The distant sounds of flapping echoed through the chamber as they grew closer.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Oh great, it’s the wolfbats,” Sokka grumbled. “Everyone duck!”</p><p class="MyStyle">Sokka’s advice to duck had been given just in time – a couple seconds later, a dense flock of the creatures zipped overhead, uttering unearthly shrieks.</p><p class="MyStyle">“The badgermoles must be close. The wolfbats were flying away from them last time. Get ready,” Sokka stated in an immensely sour tone of voice.</p><p class="MyStyle">Thundering noise accompanied by vibrations so strong they shook the ground preceded the arrival of three enormous creatures into the area. Zuko felt his heart leap at the sight – they did not look like the badgermole illustrations he had seen before. Menacing tusks sprouted on either side of large snouts covered in whiskers and fur. It was too dark to see all the creatures’ bodies, but the outline of their faces was elongated with roundish ears, and their front legs had hooves at the bottom, but he noticed one of the animal’s back legs sticking out to the side had feet with huge claws.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Boarrats! Run!” Aang cried.</p><p class="MyStyle">The six of them dashed the way they had come as Momo clung to Aang’s shoulder, screeching hysterically, while the boarrats pursued them. Zuko was fairly certain that he felt their hot breath on the backs of his arms and neck. He wished Aang or Toph would use earthbending to block them off, but apparently there was no time since they were running along with everyone else.</p><p class="MyStyle">As vibrations shook the cavern, rocks began plummeting from the ceiling from the strength of them and the ground juddered violently. The dim light provided from the overhead crystals displayed four diverging tunnels up ahead. Toph paused in her running to earthbend a wall in front of the boarrats, but they were closing in rapidly and smashed through the rock she had bent as if it were nothing. Zuko slowed down to stay by her but Toph halted again to bend. In a split-second decision, he snatched her forearm and pulled her forward before the angry creatures could catch up.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hold onto me!” she shouted over the din.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I am hol– whoa!” Zuko yelped as the two of them suddenly were launched into the air.</p><p class="MyStyle">The girl kept a taut grip on his arm as she used her other arm to punch through the stone projectiles in the air. As they soared through the air, Zuko noticed only too late when one of the falling rocks descended on them and broke their grip. There was no time to break his fall into a roll and the firebender ended up collapsing.</p><p class="MyStyle">Through a wave of pain, Zuko called, “Toph!”</p><p class="MyStyle">No one responded as he heaved himself onto his elbows, vainly searching the area with double vision clouding his sight. He noticed that the boarrats had continued ahead of him, still intent on driving out the humans and lemur that had invaded their space. Did anyone realize he and Toph were missing? Something hard slammed onto his leg and Zuko hissed in pain.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Zuko!”</p><p class="MyStyle">
  <em>No. What is she doing here?</em>
</p><p class="MyStyle">“Katara, you need to find –”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Don’t let go,” Katara ordered as she slipped an arm under both of his and, together, they managed to get the firebender on his feet as he leaned heavily on her.</p><p class="MyStyle">“We need to find Toph,” he insisted, internally cringing at how weak his voice sounded.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I saw Aang catch her, but I came back for you. Everyone else is still being chased by those…things,” she informed him. “I don’t know how we’re going to find them, but we can’t stay here. Those creatures might come back.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Let’s get going.”</p><p class="MyStyle">By the time the two of them reached the tunnels, all was quiet and still. The wreckage left in the wake of the boarrats was immense, and it was easy to tell which of the corridors they had taken. Katara and Zuko chose the only passage that looked untouched. He was uncertain how long they had hobbled down it before Katara finally spoke.</p><p class="MyStyle">“What do you think happened to them?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“I think they got away. Those things were called boarrats, and they aren’t known for being carnivorous so much as territorial. They should be satisfied once they feel that we have vacated their territory.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“They were so fast though…they could have trampled us. And they were fast enough that not even Aang or Toph could do something to stop them with earthbending.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Toph actually used her bending to make a wall, but they smashed through it,” Zuko said quietly. “Then she used her bending to launch us into the air and one of the falling rocks hit us.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“I hope she’s okay,” Katara murmured. “We should take a break. I need to take a look at you anyway to make sure you don’t have any broken bones.”</p><p class="MyStyle">It was somewhat humiliating to be lowered down as if he were fragile, but Zuko did not complain. He <em>was</em> in pain – everything was sore, and his skin was likely littered with bruises, and his left leg was too wounded to use to walk.</p><p class="MyStyle">Katara began her process by using what little water was left in her waterskin to check his leg after he informed her that it hurt the most. She eased his shoe off gently and he saw her wince after rolling up his pant sleeve to see his calf.</p><p class="MyStyle">“How bad is it?” he inquired.</p><p class="MyStyle">“It’s…not good,” she said with a grimace. “I’m going to check to see how deep the damage is.”</p><p class="MyStyle">An expression of determination masked her face as she settled her hand, gloved with water, over his shin. The glow that soon appeared within the liquid illuminated her face as she focused on her task. Zuko could not help being transfixed by the sight – even with her hair in a mess and dust streaked on her face, Katara was a truly beautiful person. Her compassion and kindness only increased her beauty, though Zuko had never told her that. Perhaps he should – later, when he had time to figure out the right words to say.</p><p class="MyStyle">A deeply soothing sensation enveloped his calf and shin and Zuko relaxed as Katara’s healing progressed. She had not told him exactly what was wrong, but he had known that the pain had been bad enough to prohibit him from walking on his own. The relief her healing provided was disorienting but wonderful. He almost forgot about how aching and sore the rest of his body felt. From how little water Katara had summoned from her waterskin, however, there was not enough to heal everything. Besides, she may not have told him, but she herself could be hurt as well.</p><p class="MyStyle">“How does that feel?” Katara asked.</p><p class="MyStyle">“It’s…so much better. I think I can walk on my own now,” Zuko replied. “Are you hurt?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“No, just tired.” She withdrew her water and massaged her temples with her unoccupied hand. “Do you mind if we just…stay here, for a little while? I just want to close my eyes for a few minutes. Not for long.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“We can stay here for however long you need,” Zuko assured her.</p><p class="MyStyle">Despite how bumpy and uneven the wall she leaned on was, Katara slipped into sleep almost immediately after sitting down next to Zuko. He told himself that he would stay awake and keep watch for their friends or any unfriendly animals, but before he even realized it, his eyelids were drooping and his consciousness faded.</p><p class="MyStyle"> </p><p class="MyStyle">Katara jolted awake with a start. She had no idea how much time had passed between her going to sleep and waking. As she glanced to her right, she realized that in her slumber, and she had slumped onto Zuko. An unusual though not uncomfortable weight was resting on top of her head and Katara came to the second realization that Zuko’s head was leaning on hers. The impulse to pull away was suddenly quelled with the desire to stay just as she was. Her friend was warm and Katara still felt so, so tired. She had not run so much in an extremely long time and her muscles were aching fiercely. That, in addition to the healing session, had truly sapped away her energy.</p><p class="MyStyle">If Zuko woke up, she could pretend to be asleep, to not be enjoying the presence of her closest friend that she had unintentionally found in the simple act of leaning on each other. This was completely fine and normal and not awkward in the slightest.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Katara?” a groggy voice whispered.</p><p class="MyStyle">Before even thinking about it, Katara tensed. So much for feigning sleep.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey,” she murmured.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Sorry for falling asleep.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Do you know how long we were sleeping?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“No,” Zuko answered.</p><p class="MyStyle">Katara felt her heartbeat increase. Zuko was awake and had not moved even a little. Was he okay with this?</p><p class="MyStyle">“We should probably get going,” he said in an unenthusiastic tone.</p><p class="MyStyle">“We should,” Katara agreed.</p><p class="MyStyle">Minute passed before she forced herself to scoot away and rise to her feet, holding a hand out to Zuko. He rubbed his eyes before accepting it and standing. They decided to keep walking forward rather than venturing back into the territory of the boarrats. Katara knew their friends were likely searching for them, but neither she nor Zuko could seismically sense anyone the way Aang and Toph could. Hopefully Sokka and Suki were together with them – Katara thought she had seen them take off into the same tunnel, but also suspected it could be wishful thinking.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Do you think all the others are together?” she asked, sparing a look at her companion as they walked.</p><p class="MyStyle">Zuko frowned a bit. “It’s possible. I hope so.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“I hope Toph is okay.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“She will be. She’s tough.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Oh, right. Her name is Toph, because it sounds like tough, and that’s just what she is!” Katara said in a feigned imitation of the man who had portrayed Toph in the play of the Ember Island Players.</p><p class="MyStyle">Zuko snorted and cracked a smile. “I bet she’d love to meet the guy who played her.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Maybe you should introduce them,” Katara suggested with a laugh.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I’m not sure how well that would go over.” Zuko sighed glumly. “I miss the time we had on Ember Island.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Me too. Even though the war was going on…it was like we had our own home outside of it,” Katara mused wistfully. “I wish we could go back to Ember Island again.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“You’re always welcome there. Even if I can’t go, I can make sure the house is open for you,” Zuko said earnestly.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Zuko, I want to go back there because I miss spending time with <em>you</em>, not the house.” Katara’s eyebrows knit together. “I’m glad we’ve kept in touch though. I know that being Fire Lord is demanding, but you’ve always made sure to write back. And I’m glad you trust me enough to talk about the things that are going on and the things you’re going through personally. I wish there were a way I could help you.”</p><p class="MyStyle">Hearing her words spilling out without her even thinking about them caused heat to bloom on Katara’s cheeks; she was glad the light provided by the crystals was dim. Still, even though she had not thought them through very much, she hoped Zuko took them to heart. She wanted him to know that he meant a lot to her and that she had gratitude for how kind he was.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I just want you to know that you matter to me. A lot. And that I’m grateful for how kindly you’ve treated me.” The waterbender firmly fix her stare on her feet, unable to meet his gaze.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Katara,” Zuko softly said, “you do help me just by writing to me, taking an interest in me, looking out for me, and listening to what I have to say.”</p><p class="MyStyle">She peeked at him from her peripheral vision to see Zuko looking at his own feet. Apparently she was not the only one who was not sure how to react to heartfelt confessions. With anyone else, she would not hesitate to pull into a hug with a smile, but with Zuko, for some reason, Katara felt unusually shy. It must have been because before meeting up for this trip they had been away for months. What other reason was there? But once upon a time, she had thrown herself at him and they both held on tightly to each other on a dock in the shine of a setting sun. Where had her courage fled?</p><p class="MyStyle">“Of course, Zuko,” Katara said, gripping her arm awkwardly.</p><p class="MyStyle">A pang of disappointment and shame dropped in her stomach at her decision to not do more to show how much his words meant to her. Another stolen peek revealed Zuko peering at her with a hopeful gaze. Katara almost moved to embrace him, but in the corner of her eye, she noticed the structure in front of them.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey, look at that!” she blurted, rushing ahead.</p><p class="MyStyle">The pang of disappointment grew heavier as Katara shifted the conversation towards her discovery.</p><p class="MyStyle">“This is the same area that we found the first time we were trapped in here,” she recounted.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Does it mean we’re close to the exit?” Zuko asked, his voice small and quiet.</p><p class="MyStyle">Katara knew she had broken whatever moment they had but pressed on anyway. “No. But if we go through it, we’ll be on the right path. And look! The stone is still rolled away. Appa was the one who moved it the last time we were here.”</p><p class="MyStyle">She ducked through the circular entrance into the tomb of Oma and Shu, thankful that the crystals dotted the ceiling in there too. They crossed the room to the statues of the two earthbenders in silence. Katara turned to look at the plaques opposite of them, though the gleam of the crystals overhead was not bright enough to illuminate the words engraved on it.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I wonder what it says,” Zuko mused.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I can tell you, if you want,” Katara offered. “I remember the story.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Please, go on.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“A woman named Oma and a man named Shu met on top of a mountain that divided their villages. But their villages were enemies, so they could not be together. Their love, though, was strong and they found a way to be together despite this. The two lovers learned earthbending from the badgermoles and became the first human earthbenders. They built elaborate tunnels so that they could meet secretly. Anyone who tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth they created. One day, the man did not come to their meeting place, and the woman found out that he had died in the war of their villages. Devastated, Oma unleashed a terrible display of earthbending. She could have destroyed them all if she wished to, but instead declared the war to be over and the two villages helped her build a new city where they could live in peace. It was named Omashu in honor of her and Shu’s love.” Katara ran her hands over the last few plaques, unsure what more to say.</p><p class="MyStyle">“That sounds a lot like us,” Zuko pondered aloud. “Our countries were at war but we became friends and ended the war.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Yeah, we did,” Katara echoed, turning towards him. “I’m glad we did.”</p><p class="MyStyle">Zuko stepped closer. “Me too.” His face became thoughtful, then morphed into one of solemnity. “Katara, I need to tell you something. For a while now, I…you have helped me so much, you’re compassionate and caring, and I feel as if we’ve shared a lot with each other and I just want you to know that I have feelings for you. It’s okay if you don’t return them, but I wanted you to know.”</p><p class="MyStyle">Her eyes widened, and Katara gasped. Zuko mistook it and hastened to smooth the situation. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have –”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Zuko, I’ve felt the same way for a long time and I think I just never acknowledged it until now, so…thanks for telling me. I don’t think I would have ever said anything until a lot later,” Katara told him, sliding one of her hands into his. He lightly squeezed it.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Katara, can I…can I kiss you?” he asked, so quietly it might have been a whisper.</p><p class="MyStyle">She took a step closer so that they were less than an inch from each other. “Yes.”</p><p class="MyStyle">Just as he began to lean down, a thud rocked the chamber before boulders blasted through one of the walls. Zuko instinctively darted in front of Katara to shield her from the rocks. Several seconds later, as dust seeped through the air, he rose to his feet and helped her up as well. She did not bother suppressing the scowl that was etching on her face.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Katara, Zuko, we found you!” Aang happily announced, riding an air scooter to them.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Aang, why did you blast a hole in the wall? There are tunnels leading into the room!” Katara yelled, hands on her hips.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Oh, sorry. I couldn’t find them but Toph thought she felt vibrations in this general direction so I went ahead and earthbent a way in here!” he babbled.</p><p class="MyStyle">“You could have hurt us with on of the flying boulders,” Zuko remarked, folding his arms.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Hey, are you guys okay?”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Katara! Zuko!”</p><p class="MyStyle">“We were so worried!”</p><p class="MyStyle">Both Aang, Katara, and Zuko tensed as a chaotic bundle consisting of Momo, Sokka, Suki, and Toph descended upon them. Katara nearly stopped breathing at the tightness of the hug now encircling her and Zuko but did not complain. As irritating as their timing was, she was still glad her friends had found them.</p><p class="MyStyle">
  <em>If only they could have waited just a few minutes longer. Oh, well. We’ll find time alone later.</em>
</p><p class="MyStyle">“What were you guys doing in here? We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Sokka exclaimed, wildly gesturing in the air.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Yeah, what <em>were</em> you doing?” Suki inquired, eyebrows raised as she shot a glance at the statues of Oma and Shu kissing each other.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Oh, um…”</p><p class="MyStyle">“We just wandered in here,” Katara explained. “We thought if we just kept going we would find the way out and meet with you guys outside.”</p><p class="MyStyle">“Sure you were,” Toph said snidely.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Why don’t we just start walking? We’ve lost all our supplies and we probably have a long way to go,” Zuko suggested loudly, not wanting to give Toph the opportunity to say any more.</p><p class="MyStyle">“Ugh, I was hoping you guys hung on to some. I really wanted a snack,” Aang complained.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I think Katara and Zuko were sharing a snack right before we barged in here,” Toph quipped with a sinister grin.</p><p class="MyStyle">“I think Toph doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” Katara retorted. “Let’s just go.”</p><p class="MyStyle">Later on, Katara and Zuko managed to subtly hang back from the group. Even more later, Suki would recall to Toph that she had spotted them holding hands and whispering when they thought no one was looking.</p><hr/><p class="MyStyle">List of Zutara Month 2 prompts <a href="https://neurologicaldamage.tumblr.com/post/616498052307599360/alright-everyone-since-this-seemed-so-popular">here</a></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is so, so late and I am so, so sorry. Life has been giving me a beating this month and I have not had much time to write. This was not supposed to be so long but it ended up that way. The last third of it was written with extreme sleep deprivation.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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